2 crashes closed U.S. 23 in Hartland

The driver of this Cobalt escaped injury after the vehicle was rear-ended by a Pontiac G6 that was initially struck by a semi, which pushed the G6 into the Cobalt, police said.(Photo: Livingston County Sheriff's Department)

Three people were taken to area hospitals following a five-vehicle crash involving a semi on U.S. 23 in Hartland Township Monday morning.

Sheriff Bob Bezotte said the crash occurred around 7:40 a.m. on U.S. 23 about 1 mile south of M-59 when a semi driver identified as Lance Rosencrants, of Flint, “slammed on his brakes” for traffic that had slowed for an earlier crash at the ramp to U.S. 23 from the Interstate 96 exchange.

“The semi driver wasn’t paying attention to the southbound traffic that slowed and he slammed on his brakes and hit the car in front of him,” the sheriff said.

The impact pushed the 2006 Pontiac G6 into a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt while the semi, which spewed oil for about 100 yards, veered to the left and struck a Subaru Outback and 2013 Ford Fusion before leaving the roadway, Bezotte said. The semi stopped in a ditch on the right side of the road, the sheriff said.

The Pontiac driver, identified as Melissa Gramer, 45, of Fenton, and the Fusion driver, identified as Walter Gumela, 58, of Howell, were both transported to the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor while the Outback driver was taken to Saint Joseph Mercy Livingston in Howell.

Gumela is listed in fair condition, but Gramer was not found in the hospital directory, a hospital spokeswoman said Monday afternoon. The condition of the Outback driver was not known, but Bezotte said the driver had non-life threatening injuries.

Police said a Freightliner driver failed to stop for slowed traffic on southbound U.S. 23 near M-59 in Hartland Township around 7:40 a.m. Monday and rear-ended this 2006 Pontiac G6. The G6 driver was transported to an Ann Arbor hospital.(Photo: Livingston County Sheriff's Department)

Bezotte said deputies cited Rosencrants, who was operating a 2006 Freightliner for Truck Rite Equipment in Flint, for careless driving. He said deputies also are asking the Michigan Secretary of State to review Rosencrants' driver's license because his driving history includes at least six traffic related crashes.

Bezotte said traffic on the highway had slowed because at 6:37 a.m. there was an eight-car pileup that began when one driver “going too fast rear-ended a car" at the Interstate 96 and U.S. 23 interchange.

Bezotte said Brady Hedlund, 20, of Freeland, was traveling east on I-96 when he struck a 2016 Chevy Volt as he tried to enter the ramp to southbound U.S. 23, causing a chain-reaction pileup involving eight cars. No injuries were reported in the crash, but police cited Hedlund, who was driving a 2013 Ford F-150 pickup, for failing to use due care and caution.

The crash near M-59 had traffic backed up to at least Clyde Road. The highway re-opened around the 10 o’clock hour.